SOLWAY & DUMFRIES AVIATION MUSEUMS
Jun 13, 2024 17:52:55 GMT 1
northbynorthwest, ian531, and 5 more like this
Post by viscount on Jun 13, 2024 17:52:55 GMT 1
With a whole day to drive from North of Liverpool to Perth, dropped-in on two interesting aviation museums either side of the England-Scotland border. It has been a fair few years since I previously visited Carlisle, while Dumfries was my first visit there.
A delightful, well-kept Museum on the perimeter to Carlisle Airport. Interesting displays on the history of aviation in Cumbria. Talking point was the imminent arrival of the Blackburn Beverley XB259 from Hull and the challenges that will be faced putting it back together for display. With a Vulcan on site, they do have a track-record of looking after particularly large exhibits. A notably clean, tidy, well-kept Museum and a fascinating place look around. Well worth diverting to on a weekend trip north, and a great alternative to using Southwaite or Gretna Green M6/A74M Services.
CARLISLE, SOLWAY AVIATION MUSEUM, Saturday, 1st June 2024, late morning.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/mLP7qRHp/IMG-8912.jpg)
EE Canberra T.4 WE188 present in cold war green/grey camouflage scheme
![](https://i.postimg.cc/pRbK0wXk/IMG-8931.jpg)
Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS832/W also in cold war camouflage colours, no unit insignia
![](https://i.postimg.cc/54QFg3hZ/IMG-8945.jpg)
"XP748/M" EE. Lightning F.53 in RAF air interceptor silver with 56 Sqdn red/white chequered fin and nose flash; in reality ex ZF583 a Royal Saudi Air Force machine - but much more striking in early RAF silver and full paint markings. This colour scheme only appeared on Lightning F.3s (corrected), this airframe being the equivalent of the Lightning F.6 with the larger belly tank.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/SQ0Yv9qj/IMG-8946.jpg)
XV406/D F-4M Phantom FGR.2 still looking potent in her RAF camouflage and 111 Sqdn markings
![](https://i.postimg.cc/SyTWDjJz/IMG-8911.jpg)
E-425 H. Hunter F.51 correctly painted in her Danish Air Force scheme. She was once presented as RAF XG190 at her former home, the Midland Aviation Museum at Coventry.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/19jqDTjG/IMG-8944.jpg)
(XS209) H. Jet Provost T.4 very freshly painted in her RAF red/white training scheme, indeed still being 'touched up' - the decal detail yet to be re-applied. The tent permitting some weather protection during restoration.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/WsSr1tmf/IMG-8942.jpg)
XJ823 Avro Vulcan B.2, RAF, camouflaged, 27 Sqdn unit markings - kept on a hardstanding a little away from her cold-war contemporaries nearer to the Museum buildings.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/S4P69XBB/IMG-8926.jpg)
XX146/GT SEPECAT Jaguar T.2, RAF, all grey scheme, 54 Sqdn markings
![](https://i.postimg.cc/R47K2gWm/IMG-8936.jpg)
XA459/394 F. Gannet AS.4 of the Royal Navy
![](https://i.postimg.cc/CYfjshYz/IMG-8927.jpg)
WP314/573 P. Sea Prince T.1 of the Royal Navy
![](https://i.postimg.cc/sVDYY5Dr/IMG-8907.jpg)
A CIM cockpit 'slice' of a V-S Scimitar aircraft, kept under its own rain shelter.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/WNx0cKmN/IMG-8910.jpg)
(G-ARPP) HS.Trident 1c, BA, nose and forward fuselage
THE SOLWAY AVIATION MUSEUM, CARLISLE
![](https://i.postimg.cc/szbWXkSy/IMG-8950.jpg)
A delightful, well-kept Museum on the perimeter to Carlisle Airport. Interesting displays on the history of aviation in Cumbria. Talking point was the imminent arrival of the Blackburn Beverley XB259 from Hull and the challenges that will be faced putting it back together for display. With a Vulcan on site, they do have a track-record of looking after particularly large exhibits. A notably clean, tidy, well-kept Museum and a fascinating place look around. Well worth diverting to on a weekend trip north, and a great alternative to using Southwaite or Gretna Green M6/A74M Services.
CARLISLE, SOLWAY AVIATION MUSEUM, Saturday, 1st June 2024, late morning.
WE188 EE. Canberra T.4 RAF, camouflaged, no unit markings
WP314/573 P. Sea Prince T.1 Royal Navy
WS832/W G. Meteor NF.14 RAF, camouflaged, no unit markings
XA459/394 F. Gannet AS.4 Royal Navy
XJ823 Avro Vulcan B.2 RAF, camouflaged, 27 Sqdn unit markings on fin
"XP748/M" EE. Lightning F.53 (ZF583) RAF, silver, 56 Sqdn red/white chequered fin
(XS209) H. Jet Provost T.4 RAF, red/white - undergoing repaint, decal detail yet to be re-applied
XV406/D F-4M Phantom FGR.2 RAF, camouflaged, 111 Sqdn marking
XX146/GT SEPECAT Jaguar T.2 RAF, all grey, 56 Sqdn markings
E-425 H. Hunter F.51 Danish Air Force (formerly marked as XG190)
Partial Airframes:
(G-ARPP) HS.Trident 1c BA, nose and forward fuselage
(XX477) HP. Jetstream T.1 RAF, nose and forward fuselage
- V-S Scimitar CIM, cockpit slice
plus some minor components of Beverley XB259, the main aircraft sections are due shortly.
Not noted on display. Presumed in storage/workshop area (as per W&R 2024)
G-ADRX HM.14 Flea
G-APLG Auster J/5L
G-BDTT Bede BD-5 (in terminal?)
G-BNNR Cessna 152
G-BRHL B-8M gyrocopter
G-BSEG Ken Brock KB-2
Scorpion Hang glider
WG303 DHC Chipmunk T.10 fuselage
WV198/72 WS-55 Whirlwind HAR.21
WZ515 DH.115 Vampire T.11
"WZ792" Slingsby Grasshopper
From 'MikeP's' comments later it would appear that I somehow missed an indoor section of the Museum with most of the above displayed there.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/mLP7qRHp/IMG-8912.jpg)
EE Canberra T.4 WE188 present in cold war green/grey camouflage scheme
![](https://i.postimg.cc/pRbK0wXk/IMG-8931.jpg)
Gloster Meteor NF.14 WS832/W also in cold war camouflage colours, no unit insignia
![](https://i.postimg.cc/54QFg3hZ/IMG-8945.jpg)
"XP748/M" EE. Lightning F.53 in RAF air interceptor silver with 56 Sqdn red/white chequered fin and nose flash; in reality ex ZF583 a Royal Saudi Air Force machine - but much more striking in early RAF silver and full paint markings. This colour scheme only appeared on Lightning F.3s (corrected), this airframe being the equivalent of the Lightning F.6 with the larger belly tank.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/SQ0Yv9qj/IMG-8946.jpg)
XV406/D F-4M Phantom FGR.2 still looking potent in her RAF camouflage and 111 Sqdn markings
![](https://i.postimg.cc/SyTWDjJz/IMG-8911.jpg)
E-425 H. Hunter F.51 correctly painted in her Danish Air Force scheme. She was once presented as RAF XG190 at her former home, the Midland Aviation Museum at Coventry.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/19jqDTjG/IMG-8944.jpg)
(XS209) H. Jet Provost T.4 very freshly painted in her RAF red/white training scheme, indeed still being 'touched up' - the decal detail yet to be re-applied. The tent permitting some weather protection during restoration.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/WsSr1tmf/IMG-8942.jpg)
XJ823 Avro Vulcan B.2, RAF, camouflaged, 27 Sqdn unit markings - kept on a hardstanding a little away from her cold-war contemporaries nearer to the Museum buildings.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/S4P69XBB/IMG-8926.jpg)
XX146/GT SEPECAT Jaguar T.2, RAF, all grey scheme, 54 Sqdn markings
![](https://i.postimg.cc/R47K2gWm/IMG-8936.jpg)
XA459/394 F. Gannet AS.4 of the Royal Navy
![](https://i.postimg.cc/CYfjshYz/IMG-8927.jpg)
WP314/573 P. Sea Prince T.1 of the Royal Navy
![](https://i.postimg.cc/sVDYY5Dr/IMG-8907.jpg)
A CIM cockpit 'slice' of a V-S Scimitar aircraft, kept under its own rain shelter.
![](https://i.postimg.cc/WNx0cKmN/IMG-8910.jpg)
(G-ARPP) HS.Trident 1c, BA, nose and forward fuselage